Drop bottom mine car



June 16 1942 F. J. BOGARD ET AI. 2,286,949

DROP BOTTOM MINE GAR BYM U- @ATTORNEY lJune 16, 1942. y F. ,1. BOGARD ET AL.

Filed Sept. 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mlm, v

fed'gRrd Herman Pancake' By M lA .WATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1942 DROP BOTTOM MINE CAR Fred J. Bogard and Herman H. Pancake, Huntington, W. Va., assignors to American Car and Foun poration o New Jersey Application September 23, 194i, Serial No. 411,946

(Cl. S-253) 9 Claims.

This invention relates to mine cars in general and in particular to drop bottom mine cars.

wherein the doors are hinged on transverse axes and swing about such axes in opening and closing. In the construction of drop bottom mine cars where the doors were swung about transversely extending axes the earlier cars were constructed with bearing members interposed between the doors and the axes. These bearing members were usually of small contacting area and consequently wore rapidly changing the spacing between the adjacent doors and causing failure through the adjacent doors dropping. In attempts to avoid this drawback cars were built in which the doors were fixed to their axes and the axes were made to swing in bearings at` tached to the car side sills. Here again rapid wear was experienced and the adjustment between adjacent doors was hard to maintain. In mine cars where the doors overlapped or more or less directly contacted each other without the use of latches or other devices, it was, of course, necessary in some manner to offset the door or the hinge axis to obtain the necessary movement to release the next adjacent door. offsetting of the door or of the hinge axis necessarily weakened the door or the hinge axis and frequent failures were encountered in service. It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved drop bottom mine car in which the door is directly hinged upon a straight and preferably immovable hinge rod by rolling a portion of the door around the hinge rod.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved drop bottom mine car in which necessary angular movement between the adjacent doors is obtained by means of a strengthening member secured to the door and supplementing the hinge rod in resisting bending strains. l

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a directly hinged door for drop bottom mine cars which is reinforced by a hollow member at the hinged portion of the door and which member is adapted to .be filled with lubricant to lubricate the moving parts.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved door for drop bottom mine cars, which doors may be of more or less standard construction and have attached thereto a hinge and reinforcing and lubricating member, the proportions and positioning of which will c ontrol the operation of the drop bottom doors.

Company, New York, N. Y., a cor- These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description andaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is-a longitudinal sectional view of substantially half the car and disclosing the forward end thereof;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing substantially the rear half of the car and with parts broken away to better disclose the interrelation of the doors;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the improved door hinging, reinforcing and lubricating means;

Fig. 44 is a plan view of a portion of the door at the hinging and reinforcing means;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the improved door hinging, reinforcing and lubricating means but showing a slight modification thereof in the broken away part, and

Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of the hinged .p0rtion of the door prior to attachment of the reinforcing and lubricating means.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the car is of more or less conventional form, having a forward bumper and draft assembly 2, carried by its end sill structure 4, joined to the end wall 6 and side sills 8. The side sills in the present case are of angular formation having a bottom flange 9 directed horizontally. outward (F1g. 2) and upper flange lll inclined upwardly and outwardly. Such a sill is shown in Almquist 1,616,564. In the present case, however, areas of this type of 'sill adjacent the end sills and journal boxes are clipped and the inclined part of thecflange is bent upwardly to provide fiat areas for attachment to the end sills and to the journal boxes. Of course, if desired this illustrated sill element may be formed from an angle clipped prior to bending the upper flange outwardly but, regardless of themanner or sequence of operations upon the sill element. the final result will be the same. The rear ends of the side sills are connected together by a rear end structure I2 carrying a bumper and draft element Il of any desired form. Rear end wall I6 is con'- nected to the end sill structure and to the rear portion of the side walls I8, which side walls are connected to the inclined flange Ill of the side vsills and braced and supported by gussets 20.

Journal boxes 22 are connected to the side sills at the straight portions previously .referred to and rest on axles 24 carried by wheels 26. Due to the low position of the side walls of the car wheel hoods are necessary and, as clearly shown invFig. 1, the present wheel hood consists of side wall and sill attaching anges 28and 30 respectively and an inner wheel hood wall 32 lying as close as possible to the wheel flange and joined to the sill attaching flange .by a short inclined portion 34. In order to brace the side walls of the car and keep the lading from contacting the axles and hinged portion of the door, cross braces and deectors 36 and 38 are provided (Fig. 1). In order to close the bottom of the car, that is, the space between the end walls and end sill structures and between the side sills, a plurality of drop bottom doors D are provided. These doors are preferably all alike in general construction and, to eliminate dies, are formed of a flat bottom portion 40 inclined upwardly as at 42 and rolled as at 44 to closely engage hinge rod 46 supported by the side sills and preferably fixed against rotation or movement in any direction. The flat bottom plate of the door is reinforced by ilat shaped side pieces 50 welded or otherwise secured to the edges of the flat door plate, to the inclined portions, and to the rolled portion forming the hinged part of the door. 'Ihe door is also preferably stiffened by means of flat or other shaped plates 52 welded or otherwise secured to the upper surface of the door intermediate the side portions 50. Wear strips 54 are also welded or otherwise attached to the door at the proper point to contact the closing ramp (not shown). With the door constructed as described the necessity of expensive dies is eliminated since the flat door plates, flat side pieces and reinforcing members may be easily formed Without the use of special dies.

It will be obvious that with the door merely rolled around the hinge rod, there will be no relative movement between adjacent doors and accordingly there can be no opening movement transmitted from one door to the other as is customary in drop bottom cars of this type. In order to provide the necessary relative movement to permit rearward doors to control opening of forward doors a U-shaped member 60 is formed and extended completely across the hinged edge of the door between the side plates 50 and having its free edge portions welded or otherwise secured as at W to the rolled portion of the door, thus the door hinged portion is reinforced by the rolled portion of the door forming a tubular part and by a second semi-tubular part formed by U-shaped element 60 attached to the rolled portion. In other Words, the hinge edge portion of the door is reinforced and supported by the hinge rod and by a double tubular reinforcement. The length of the arms of this U-shaped member or element and the angular position at which they are attached to the rolled portion of the door Will obviously control the degree of movement of the member when the attached door swings downwardly. By controlling the degree of movement, it is very easy for the car builder to provide a car in which the doors will open in the usual manner, namely, in sequence from rear to front with relatively large angular movements of the rearward doors before the next forward door opens. It is also relatively easy for the car builder by extending the U-shaped member 60 to cause the next for- Ward door to open after a slight angular movement of the rearward door. In other words, it is possible (to release the next forward door by movement of the rearward door through a small angular swing corresponding to dropping of the rearward door upon the ties. In this manner a car builder may regularly construct what is known as a 3-2-1 car or a 1-2-3 car, that is, one dumping from rear to front or one dumping from front to rear and this can be accomplished merely by changing the proportions and angularity of the U-shaped reinforcing member 80.

In order to eliminate wear as much as possible between the door roll and the hinge rod a plurality of openings i4 are punched in the door plate, preferably prior to rolling, and in such a position as to open into the cavity 65 formedbetween the U-shaped member and the door roll. This cavity forms an admirable place to receive grease or other lubricant and such grease or lubricant is preferably forced into the cavity through an opening 66 formed in the U-shaped member. This opening may be vplate 12 to the ends of the U-shaped member and to the side members 50 of the door. The side pieces 50, of course, close the ends of the door rolled portion and are pierced with a hole 14 closely fitting the hinge rod and preventing escape of lubricant from the rolled portion of the door. If desired, of course, sealing means, such as felt washers', may be used adjacent the ends of the hinge rods, but in actual service the small clearance opening between plate til)l and the hinge rod will soon be caked and closed by grease and fine coal dust, thereby forming a most effective seal against an excessive escape of lubricant. It is', of course, desirable that a small amount of lubricant escape at this point for then wear of the door side members on the side sills is substantially eliminated.

While the invention has been described more orvless in detail with particular reference to the modifications shown, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of parts, other than those shown and described, may be made and all such modifications and rearrangements of parts are contemplated as will fall within the scope of the appended claims defining our invention.

. What is claimed is:

1. In a drop bottom car, a plurality of doors hinged on the car to swing downwardly about transversely extending hinge axes, means forming a plurality of substantially tubular reinforcements for the hinge. edge of each door, one of said tubular reinforcements serving to support the free edge of the adjacent door when the doors arein closed position, and the other of said tubular reinforcements serving as part of the hinge for the door, said reinforcements being in communicating relation and said first-mentioned reinforcement being formed to constitute a lubricant reservoir from which lubricant may pass to said second-named reinforcement to lubricate said hinge.r

2'. In a drop bottom car, a plurality of hinge rods carried by the car, a plurality of drop bottom doors each having one edge rolled to form atubular reinforcement for the door and to engage a hinge rod to pivotally mountthe door on the car, and means comprising a supporting ele`- ment for an adjacent door so constructed and arranged as to have communication with. and to supply lubricant to the interior of said tubular reinforcement thereby lubricating the hinge rod surfaces.

3. In a drop bottom car, a plurality of hinge rods carried by the car, a plurality of drop bottom doors each having one edge rolled to form a tubular reinforcement for the door and to engage a hinge rod to pivotally mount the door on the car, a U-shaped member secured to the rolled portion of the door and forming therewith a second tubular reinforcement substantially parallel to and coextensive with said first named tubular reinforcement, means substantially closing the ends of said tubular reinforcements, and means including passages connecting the reinforcements for supplying lubricant to both of the tubular reinforcements.

4. In a drop bottom car, a plurality of hinge rods carried by the car, a plurality of drop bottom doors each having one edge rolled to form a tubular reinforcement for the door and to engage a hinge rod to pivotally mount the door on the car, 'a U-shaped member secured to the rolled portion of the door and forming therewith a second tubular reinforcement substantially parallel to and coextensive with said first named ltubular reinforcement, means substantially closing the ends of said tubular reinforcements, passages connecting the tubular reinforcements, and means for supplying lubricant to said second tubular reinforcement for gravity feed through said passages to the first named tubular reinforcement whereby the surfaces of said hinge rod are lubricated.

5. In a drop bottom car, a plurality of hinge rods carried by the car, a plurality of drop bottom'doors, each having one edge rolled to form a tubular reinforcement for the door and to engage a hinge rod to pivotally mount the door on the car, means secured to the rolled portion of each door and forming therewith a second substantially tubular reinforcement for the hinge edge of each door, said tubular reinforcements extending substantially from side to side of the doors to effectively reinforce the same, and passages connecting said reinforcements, said second reinforcement constituting a lubricant reservoir to provide for long term lubrication of the hinge rod surface.

6. As an article of manufacture, a door for drop bottom cars comprising, a main door plate, a roll formed along one edge thereof to provide a tubular reinforcement for the edge and to receive a hinge rod, U-shaped means secured to said roll and forming therewith a second substantially tubular reinforcement, plates substantially closing the ends of said second tubular reinforcement whereby it may serve as a lubricant reservoir and passages connecting said tubular reinforcements whereby lubricant may enter said rst named tubular reinforcement thereby lubrieating the hinge rod.

7. As an article of manufacture, a door for drop bottom cars comprising, a main door plate, a roll formed along one edge thereof to provide a tubular reinforcement for said edge and to receive a hinge rod, means secured to said roll and forming therewith a second substantially tubular reinforcement for the hinge edge of the door, said second tubular reinforcement being formed to constitute a lubricant reservoir, and side pieces secured to the side edges of the main door plate and to the ends of said roll and said tubular reinforcement, the side pieces providing closures for the ends of said reinforcements to prevent leakage of lubricant from said reservoir.

8. As an article of manufacture, a door for drop bottom cars comprising, a main door plate, a roll formed along one edge thereof to provide a tubular reinforcement for said edge and to receive a hinge rod, means secured to said roll and forming therewith a second substantially tubular reinforcement for the hinge edge of the door, said second tubular reinforcement being formed to constitute a lubricant reservoir, passages connecting said reinforcements, and side pieces secured to the side edges of the main door plate and to the ends of said roll and said lubricant reservoir, the side pieces providing closures for the ends of said reinforcements to prevent leakage of lubricant therefrom. I

9. In a drop bottom car, a plurality of hinge rods carried by the car, a plurality of drop bottom doors each having one edge rolled to form a substantially tubular reinforcement for the door adapted to engage a hinge rod to pivotally mount the door on the car, a lubricant reservoir secured to said reinforcement and having communication with the interior of said reinforcement to lubricate the hinge rod, said lubricant reservoir being so formed as to constitute a support for the free edge of the next adjacent door when the doors are in'elosed position.

FRED J. BOGARD. HERMAN H. PANQAKE. 

